Sep 20, 2017

SHAPING THE FUTURE: MINI x I-MANIFEST.

Creative use of space has always been at the core of the MINI brand. Now, with MINI LIVING, these design principles are successfully applied to urban living spaces, providing architectural solutions that address modern city challenges: shortage of space, affordable and attractive habitats and environmental impacts.

MINI LIVING was launched in 2016 with MINI LIVING – Do Disturb at the Salone del Mobile in Milan. This was closely followed by two additional concepts, MINI LIVING – Forests and MINI LIVING – Breathe.

This year MINI Australia teamed up with NGO I-Manifest to bring the initiative to Australia with the first MINI LIVING and I-Manifest Design School. I-Manifest offers an innovative education platform that links youth with industry professionals to achieve real-world outcomes and career pathways.

Across three days, the Design School students explored resource-conscious living possibilities for a family of four in a compact urban space. The brief was inspired by the European concepts, but tailored to the Australian market.

Students designed, built and curated the creative project with guidance from award-winning architects Miriam Green of Tribe Studio and Nicholas Gurney. Minimalist design and multi-functional furniture were used to showcase the diverse potential of living areas, utilising Australian pieces from local Sydney studios including Design By Them, SP01, Rogerseller and Tait.

The outcome of the project was an artistic yet entirely functional communal living space that boasted a range of purposes. The most significant outcome, however, was intangible. The students – the next generation of architects and curators – embraced the necessity to design consciously for urban communities and to live inventively.

Here, the MINI LIVING philosophy truly came into play, squeezing maximum potential from the smallest possible physical footprint.

In October MINI Australia will continue to explore future living spaces as elite Australian architects respond to the MINI LIVING – INVERT brief. In addition to the expert interpretations, RMIT Masters students will also submit designs, with one to be exhibited alongside the professional submissions.